Baltimore burns while cops have to stand down

Another incident between the Black community and cops; Another group of Blacks burning cars and looting businesses; cops just observing crimes with very few arrests; rampart destruction by roaming gangs of thugs taunting police daring them to even act.

So the good people in the City of Baltimore had to endure the actions of thugs destroying the place where they live while the so-called black leaders wring their hands acting confused as to how they got there in the first place. All they were trying to do was to protect people’s First Amendment rights. But while their focus was on allowing black folk to vent, at least 16 cops are injured, others threatened and shot at in broad daylight.

The Bloods and Crips openly vow to kill cops; while members of the Nation of Islam brag about actually calling these criminal organizations together to “take the cops out”. Then they changed their minds, I guess after they saw the city burning or watched roving gangs of youth tossing liquor bottles, rocks and bricks at cops and jumping on cars, burning cars, looting stores – in wild abandonment, without fear.

All these incidents happening again after a young black man died in the custody of the cops. This time the location is Baltimore, Maryland. And when the “leaders” (black politicians, preachers, etc.) are asked by media why these black folk are “mad,” why they are angry at police, etc., the standard answer is racism, poverty, lack of hope, lack of education, lack of jobs and hatred of “the man who has his foot on our necks.”

Same old excuses. Same old issues. Same old results. Same old violence. Same old situation where cops were harassed. And same old media personalities talking about black folk “having enough.”

So I ask enough of what? Nobody wants to deal with the fact that while these protests start because of the death of one person, there are hundreds of blacks who die at the hands of other black folk every year across this country.

How long do you listen to Don Lemon on CNN ask, “What next” after watching the violence, the burning, the looting after the death of one person? The black talking heads (Van Jones, Dr. Lamont Hill) keep saying the same things trying to give a reason why – justification for – blacks destroying their own communities. Communities, by the way, totally controlled by black liberals and black Democratic politicians.

I’m really tired of this self-serving drama. This time it became personal to me because one of my granddaughters had just recently moved to Maryland just outside of Baltimore and her young man belongs to one of the police departments that had to deal with this foolishness – not knowing if he would be one of those officers who would be hurt by these thugs bent on burning Baltimore down.

How long are we going to see this same old scene play over and over again in different neighborhoods and expect different results? This time the Mayor is black and the police chief is black. Yet they burned more buildings and looted more stores than they did in Ferguson, Missouri where the officials are mostly white.

When are we going to stop lying to ourselves? Finding excuses for black criminal behavior? Looks like each week lately there has been media coverage for protests turned riots over a black death by a white cop. I keep seeing this movie over and over again. Somebody needs to change the channel or flip the script.

Barbara Howard is a political consultant, radio host and commentator and motivational speaker. She is Florida State chairwoman for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Trade & Travel goodwill ambassador to Kenya. She may be reached at bhoward11@bellsouth.net